Exclusive - Gordon Taylor: Rio Ferdinand could have lost his eye

Chairman of the Professional Footballers Association, Gordon Taylor, feels everyone needs to come together to decrease the number of abusive events that occur around football.

His comments follow the incident at Manchester City’s Etihad stadium where United defender Rio Ferdinand was struck by a coin, and another fan got onto the pitch in an attempt to confront the former England man.

Taylor said: “Another half-inch lower and Rio [Ferdinand] could have lost his eye. It’s just not good enough, there has to be something we can do.”

He continued: “While arrests have been declining, there has still been a significant number of life bans. You want football to be a safe haven for the players on the pitch and supporters.”

In response to articles suggesting he wanted netting for supporters, the former Bolton player said: “After Hillsborough, the last thing I want to talk about is having fans penned it. What I wanted was a way that the crucial areas [surrounding the pitch] could have a slight deterrent [for missile throwers] without affecting the views or more importantly the safety.”

Another half-inch lower and Rio [Ferdinand] could have lost his eye. It’s just not good enough, there has to be something we can do